This is a detailed and comprehensive study of the climates of Southern Asia, describing and interpreting the complex atmospheric dynamics of the region and explaining in depth the intricacies of the meteorology of the monsoon. To create this landmark study, the authors have made extensive and original use of the great wealth of primary data available, which has never previously been presented in such an integrated way. This book is organized in two parts. The first provides the essential meteorological background to understanding the South Asian climate. It places the regional circulation in the perspective of tropical general circulation and then describes the specific features that dominate the climate of South Asia, including characteristic features of the southwest monsoon. The second part deals with the climatological characteristics of South Asia; the mean climate of the region is described, followed by the specific features of individual countries. The spatial distribution and temporal variability of various climatic elements over the region forms an important aspect for this section. Climatological tables drawn from published data on climatic normals for selected stations in South Asia and an exhaustive bibliography are provided. The volume fulfils the long-felt need for a reference book on the climatology of South Asia, for use in research libraries and teaching programmes in atmospheric science, geography, agriculture, water resources and the other environmental sciences.

G. B. Pant is the author of Climates of South Asia, published by Wiley.

K. Rupa Kumar is the author of Climates of South Asia, published by Wiley.

List of Figures

ix

(8)

List of Tables

xvii

(2)

Series Preface

xix

(2)

Preface

xxi

PART 1: METEOROLOGICAL BACKGROUND

1

(104)

1 South Asia: An Introduction to the Region

3

(18)

1.1 Physiographic features of South Asia

5

(4)

1.2 River systems

9

(1)

1.3 Forests and vegetation

10

(2)

1.4 Climatic significance

12

(3)

1.5 History of South Asian climatic record

15

(3)

1.6 Problems of South Asia in the context of global climate change

18

(1)

1.7 About this book

18

(3)

2 Tropical General Circulation: South Asian Context

21

(30)

2.1 Tropical general circulation

22

(3)

2.2 Equatorial trough

25

(1)

2.3 Trade winds

26

(1)

2.4 Inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ)

27

(2)

2.5 Subtropical anticyclones

29

(1)

2.6 Tropical monsoons

30

(5)

2.7 Some important upper-air features of tropical circulation

35

(8)

2.8 East-west oscillations in the tropical atmosphere

43

(6)

2.9 Interaction between mid-latitude and tropical circulation

49

(2)

3 Characteristic Features of South Asian Summer Monsoon

51

(28)

3.1 Climatological features of summer monsoon circulation

51

(7)

3.2 Onset and withdrawal of Indian summer monsoon

58

(12)

3.3 Principal rain-bearing systems of the Indian summer monsoon

70

(6)

3.4 Break monsoon situations

76

(2)

3.5 Intra-seasonal variations in monsoon circulation

78

(1)

4 Other Meteorological Features and Systems of South Asia

79

(26)

4.1 Solar radiation

79

(5)

4.2 Western disturbances

84

(5)

4.3 Tropical cyclones

89

(8)

4.4 Thunderstorms

97

(3)

4.5 Hailstorms

100

(1)

4.6 Dust storms

100

(3)

4.7 Fog, haze and mist

103

(2)

PART 2: CLIMATIC CHARACTERISTICS

105

(180)

5 Mean Climatology of South Asia

107

(26)

5.1 Mean circulation features

107

(1)

5.2 Surface pressure

108

(2)

5.3 Surface temperature

110

(6)

5.4 Precipitation

116

(5)

5.5 Climatic classification

121

(3)

5.6 Variability of South Asian mean climate

124

(9)

6 Rainfall Variability

133

(48)

6.1 Indian rainfall data sets

135

(7)

6.2 Variability of Indian summer monsoon rainfall

142

(17)

6.3 Teleconnections of monsoon rainfall

159

(4)

6.4 Seasonal forecasting of summer monsoon rainfall

163

(13)

6.5 Northeast monsoon rainfall variability

176

(5)

7 Temperature Variability

181

(16)

7.1 Surface air temperature trends over India

182

(4)

7.2 Diurnal asymmetry of surface air temperature trends

186

(5)

7.3 Upper-air temperature variations

191

(3)

7.4 Possible causal mechanisms

194

(3)

8 Regional Climatic Features

197

(72)

8.1 India

197

(22)

8.2 Pakistan

219

(6)

8.3 Nepal

225

(4)

8.4 Bangladesh

229

(10)

8.5 Sri Lanka

239

(16)

8.6 Oceanic regions

255

(2)

8.7 Deserts

257

(7)

8.8 Climate of the Himalaya

264

(5)

9 The Changing Climate of South Asia: its Environmental Impacts

269

(16)

9.1 Geological evolution of South Asia

270

(1)

9.2 Glacial and inter-glacial phases in the monsoon climate

270

(2)

9.3 Historical accounts of past climate

272

(2)

9.4 High-resolution palaeoclimatic reconstructions

274

(6)

9.5 Contemporary climatic change

280

(1)

9.6 Climate modelling studies

280

(2)

9.7 Environmental and economic impacts

282

(3)

Appendices

285

(14)

1. All-India monthly and seasonal rainfall (1871-1994) (after Parthasarathy et al., 1995)

286

(4)

2. Climatological tables of some stations in South Asia

290

(9)

Bibliography

299

(16)

Index

315

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Climates of South Asia

9780471949480

0471949485

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